


Never Let Me Go

by therobinlocksley



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Lesbian Relationship, F/F, Military
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-04-24 20:40:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4934512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therobinlocksley/pseuds/therobinlocksley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coming back from the military fully the same person as you left never happens. Running a multi-billion dollar worldwide company makes a person cold. What happens when two people from these different worlds meet? Will they fix or break each other more?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Strangeness and Charm

**Author's Note:**

> Yes. This is my second story. I'll finish the other one after this one. I got the grand idea for this one in a dream. YES. I HAD THE BEST DANG SWANQUEEN DREAM EVER. 
> 
> But yeah. I'm a young SQ writer so bear with me. I'll try to make this a good story.

The soft sound of freshly shined men’s dress shoes descend down perfectly engraved stone stairs to a waiting limo. A rough hand lowers itself to the handle of the last door and pulls, revealing a small brown headed boy.

“Mr. Henry,” a deep, old British accent says with delight as the young boy steps out of the limo and comes to stand before the now closed car door.

“Hi Berkley!” exclaims the young six year old as he struggles to keep his oversized back pack on his small frame. He looks up to Berkley with a deep grin and brown eyes covered with long strands of brown bangs.

“How was your day? Did you make up with little Ms. Ava today?” the butler asks as he lays a hand on the top of Henry’s oversized backpack and leads him back up the gorgeously carved stairs and up to the large, marble mansion.

He sighs and looks at the steps he walks on, his lower lip poking out slightly. “Not yet, I told her I was sorry and asked if we could be best friends again. I even asked Grace for help!” he exclaims.

They reach to top of the stairs as Berkley begins, “Well, I might have an idea of who can cheer you up little Sir.” They walked between two large, marble columns and to the giant glass paned doors. “Someone decided to leave work a little early so she could see her little Sir,” Berkley claims with a slight smile while pushing one of the doors open and allowing Henry to run in.

“Mom!” the little brunette ran across the smooth marbled floor to the stairs. The sound of _click_ could be heard through the front entrance room as it descended down the stairs to the running sound of sneakers.

Finally the sound of the black stilettos under covered with a deep crimson, stopped along with the _thumps_ of sneakers.

Henry threw his arms around the curved waist of a crimson colored, fitted dress. Olive colored arms enveloped the boy’s back.

Hands grabbed Henry’s arms from around the curved waist and pulled his soft little ones into their own. The older brunette crouched down so that her deep, brown and yellow hazel eyes met her sons deep brown.

“I heard that a certain Little Prince didn’t have a good day yesterday until I got in from work late and he was asleep. So I was thinking that I should leave work early today and maybe take him to the park and also for ice cream?” a deep, rich voice asked with a wide grin.

Henry smiled as he said, “I think the Prince would say yes. But Mommy, he’s not little. He’s a great Prince but also a knight because he’s brave and nothing bothers him or makes him sad.”

“That’s true also. I’ve heard that he might have even slayed a great dragon once,” another voice says, coming from living room to the mother and son’s right. Henry turns his head and his eyes widen as yells, “Uncle David!”

The tall, muscular man wore an un-buttoned up grey fitted suit, a white solid dress shirt underneath with a grey tie tucked into the suit jacket. He had light blue eyes, light brown hair that was combed backwards, light pink lips, and a stubble beard style.

Henry ran and slid across the tiled, marbled floor right in David’s leg. He leaned down and grabbed Henry by his under arms and lifted him up into the air. The preschooler laughed and screamed in delight as he repeatedly was thrown in the air.

Finally, David stopped and carried Henry on his hip.

“Are you coming to the park with me and Mommy? Please Uncle Dave?” Henry gave his best puppy eyes and pushed out his lower lip as he looked between his mother and uncle.

“Well someone has to protect the Queen Regina and her Prince Henry, so I, Knight Mills, vow to protect the Sir Henry,” David states as he tickles Henry’s stomach, emitting a giggle from the small brunette,” and accompany her Majesty to the park,” he continues as he walks over to his little sister and puts his left arm around her shoulder and begins to walk to the door where Berkley waits.

“Wait! I have to grab our swords. We can’t go to the park without our swords!” the youngest Mills states as he squirms for his Uncles to put him down. “Fine, but hurry Henry,” Regina says as David puts him down.

Henry runs off to the stairs and hurries up as Regina yells, “Slow down Henry, you could fall!”

The siblings smile at each other as Henry continues at his pace. David crosses his arms over his chest as Regina asks, “How long till you have to go back to London?”

He sighs as he runs a hand through his hair and says, “My flight leaves out tonight around two. I have to be back for a meeting by noon tomorrow. I’ll be taking a non-stop flight so I’ll make it on time.”

“How is everything going on with our London located company? We haven’t talk in the last two or three days.”

“Everything is going well so far. As usual, Albert Spencer is raising hell, claiming that the entire different of the company needs a board because he thinks I can’t handle everything over here. So that’s when I decided to claim a private meeting with him. But of course, him being our top shareholder, he then claimed that this meeting needed some more voices to be heard. So now, I’m walking into my own lion’s den. But, I’ve had Ruby make copies of the contracts with Spencer and I think I’ve found a way to steal his shares of the company back. If I do, then I will basically own my damn company and none of the other shareholders will have a partial say in what I do,” he finishes with a sigh.

“How are things here in New York? I grabbed a paper in the airport this morning and I saw that you’re doing a fundraiser for research for a local military rehab center,” David asks as he begins to untie his tie.

“Things are fine here. Luckily, I have no problems with shareholders since thankfully, we have none here and the company is a hundred percent ours as of last week. Also, yes, I decided it would help the image of company since everyone imagines me as a cold-hearted bitch,” Regina says while pinching the bridge of her nose.

Small paced footsteps interrupt the conversation of the two siblings. “Mom! Uncle Dave! Let’s go!” Henry says as he jumps off the last step and runs past them and through the open door being help by Berkley.

Regina gives Berkley a warm smile and says, “We won’t be long. Could you have Gran start on dinner? Also if you don’t mind Berk,” Regina says stopping in front of the butler, “take the night off. You deserve it.”

Berkley begins to open his mouth and protest but Regina holds up her hand. “Even I know you deserve the night off. Especially after dealing with my over-energized nephew and uptight sister,” David smiles at Berkley, laying a hand on his shoulder.

“I hope when we get back, you are nowhere in sight,” Regina states with a challenging glare at Berkley as she begins to walk out the door.

“It would be for your benefit if you are. Of course, us both knowing her, she will force you to take the week off. Bye Berk,” David says following after nephew and sister. “Heed my warning!” David calls out over his shoulder as he begins his descent down the stairs.

 

* * *

 

 

“Surrender! Or I will be forced to kill you Dark Knight!” Henry yells as he points his wooden sword towards David’s chest as he drops to his knees.

“I surrender King Henry,” David pretends to be out of breath as he drops his sword onto the soft green grass.

Henry smiles proudly as he looks to his mother. “Hey Mommy, since I saved you from the Dark Knight, can I have an ice cream cone?” he asks Regina as she sits on a nearby bench with her legs crossed.

Regina looks at him with her head slightly turned and her eyebrows raised.

He looks at her with a frown and juts out his lower lip. “Please?”

“If you can recite the American’s Creed that you’re learning in school then I will buy you one from that ice cream truck,” Regina challenges as she motions to an ice cream truck across the people filled park.

“Mom,” Henry whines as he continues to have his sword pointed at David’s chest.

“Henry,” she warns back as she glares at him.

The youngest Mills sighs as he begins: “I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.”

“Who is it by?” The second oldest Mills asks.

“William Tyler Page Mom,” Henry dead pans Regina as he finishes. “Now may I pretty please have ice cream?” he whines with his high pitched voice.

Regina rolls her eyes and smiles as she gets up from the bench and begins walking towards the ice cream stand. She weaves around games of tag, Frisbee, and hide and seek and she finally steps onto the sidewalk of the park. The clicks of her heels are deafened by the sounds of the city.

She pulls her purse up and begins to look inside, digging around for her wallet. Way up ahead on the same sidewalk, three men are in a high speed chase from four police officers. The last criminal closer to the police quickly pulls a trash can that is on the sidewalk down to the ground, tripping one officer but allowing another one to throw himself onto the back of the criminal and bring him down.

The two criminal men at the front never bother looking back as they continue pushing and weaving through people on the sidewalk. “Split up!” the leader of the masked covered men yells to his to cohort and he continues on the sidewalk as his partner runs into the street, being followed by one officer.

The two officers slowly begin to gain on the single criminal. Finally, the chase catches up right in front of Regina.

She is oblivious to the speed of the rough arm that grabs her left arm and the thin metal blade that grazes her olive neck.

She looks up in alarm but stands still as the view of two officers stopping in front of her. “Come any closer and I will slit her throat!” the criminal yells and the blade is pressed closer to her throat.

She is quickly being pulled backwards as the criminal tries to make his getaway. The officers slowly move forward but stop as the criminal is pulled away from Regina.

A blonde woman pulls the arm of the thief that is holding the knife down and around his back.

She grabs his other arm, holding it tightly in something very similar to a viper’s grasp. The blonde woman pushes the criminal’s arm upward emitting a loud groan from the criminal as he drops the knife. The woman then took her foot and kicked into the place behind the man’s knee and brought him down to the ground.

The police then came and apprehended him and began to drag him towards an incoming police cruiser.

The mysterious blonde woman began dusting her hands off on the back of her dark blue jeans which were tucked into brown boots. She wore a white under shirt which was covered by a deep red jacket.

As Regina took deep breaths and replayed what had just conspired, she walked over to the blonde woman who was watching the policemen stick the criminal in the cruiser.

“Excuse me,” Regina said as she stepped to the side of the blonde.

The mysterious woman turned to the brunette. Her features were astounding. Long blonde hair fell over red leather covered shoulder. Her eyes were a deep emerald green, but they were also cold and hard.

“Thank you for that. I don’t kno-" Regina is cut short by a little boy running for straight for her.

“Mommy!” Henry yells as he launches himself to her. At the last second she caught him and he buried his face in her neck. “I’m fine my little Prince,” she says lovingly as she stroke his back. David isn’t far behind and he puts a hand on her back and looks at her. “I’m fine David. Thankfully Ms.-“Regina indicates towards the blonde stranger.

“Swan. Emma Swan,” the blonde woman says bluntly. “Swan,” Regina continues,” was here to save me.”

Regina gives a warm smile to Ms. Swan, who seldom returned them.

But this time, she did.


	2. Various Storms and Saints

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is short. I tried to get a chapter up since I didn't post one last week. Next chapter will be written way better.

“I bet most of my friends don’t know how to kick ass like you. Where’d you learn all of that?” David asks motioning behind him, earning a glare from Regina for cussing in front of Henry.

Emma tenses up slightly and crosses her arms over her chest as she looks at the pair. “Well, when you’re in the military and you’re a woman, you have to show men that you’re not weak as you look just because you’re a woman.”

“What’s your rank if I may ask?” David raises one of his eyebrows.

“Major,” she tenses up even more. Her jawline is tightened and it’s noticeable to all those standing within a couple of feet.

As Emma finished speaking, Henry slightly picked his up from his hiding place under his mother’s neck to look at the new blonde acquaintance. “Excuse my rudeness, this is my brother David,” Regina says motioning to her brother, “and my son Henry,” she continues, motioning to the shy preschooler still hiding is brunette mop of hair in her neck.

“I’m Regina,” the brunette gives a warm smile as she holds out her hand to the blonde.

“As in Regina and David Mills of Mills Enterprises?” Emma spits out slowly while bunching her eyebrows together.

The siblings both look at each other and back to their new acquaintant. “Yes.”

Before another word can be said, a police officer asks Regina to step away from the small group so she can be asked questions. She hands Henry to David and walks away with the police officer.

“I guess that’s my cue,” Emma says motioning to man’s sister.

“Hey, is there anything we could do to thank you?” David asks Emma.

“No, not at all. But um… It was nice meeting you. Even if it was in the most violent way possible,” Emma smiles to herself as she stares at the grey pavement. “Nice meeting you too,” David stares in amazement as the blonde turns and begins to walk in the opposite direction, hands tucked in her back pockets.

Henry finally begins to pick his head up and looks around. “She would be a great knight wouldn’t she Uncle Dave,” the youngest Mills whispers to his uncle. “Yeah, she would Kid, she would,” they both continue to stare at the blonde mess of hair before turning back to the brunette being occupied by the policemen.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day, deep brown golden eyes stare out of the clear glass, floor to ceiling length, hundredth story Mills’ Enterprises building. They pass over the city beneath them, back and forth. Yet, everything is quiet and clear.

The same crimson lips are pressed tightly together, with eyes concentrated and eyebrows furrowed together deep in thought over a woman with golden blonde hair. With a sigh she walks over to her desk and presses a small button on it, emitting a _beep_ sound. Regina then walks back over to the spot where she stood, staring over the city like a hawk on a high perch watching for something to move.

Her office door is given a light knock and her demeanor changes into cold and harsh. “Enter,” she spit out quickly, not even bothering to turn around.

“You called Ms. Mills?” an Australian accent asked with slight hesitation. The Australian looked at her boss through her reflection in the glass. She was dressed in black heels, a black fitted pencil skirt, and a long sleeved, deep red blouse.

“I need you to look up a person by the name Emma Swan,” her deep voice demands as her eyes focus on a nearby helicopter landing on a landing pad. “Her phone number and where she lives. Get Sydney to help you. I want this all done in the next hour,” the brunette says dismissively. The Aussie turns to leave but before she could, she hears the brunette ask quietly, “Belle, also see if you can get me reservations at _La’Atelier de Joel Robuchon_.”

“Is that all Ms. Mills?” Belle asks with her hand on the door knob. There’s a short pause between the two women.

“Make sure it’s for two,” she breathes out finally. Regina doesn’t see it but Belle’s face contorts into the largest grin as she exits the office and quietly closing the door behind her.

As Belle closes the door and leaves, Regina takes a deep breath before running her hands through her dark raven colored hair. “There’s something about you that I can’t quite put my finger on…” she said to herself out loud, cupping her chin.

 

* * *

 

 

“Ems! Where’s the fun in you?” a brunette with a red streak yells to Emma over blaring music across a stocked full bar. “Ruby you know I hate day drinking,” Emma yelled back rolling her eyes from the bar stool she sat on. She was in darker blue jeans, a white sweater, and an orange leather jacket. Her infamous golden blonde hair fell around her shoulders. “Since when? The Emma Swan I use to know could drink all day and manage to keep it down!” her friend yells at her as she walks towards her.

She holds out her hand to stop Ruby from walking towards. “I’m going get some air. I’ll be back.” Emma sighs as she hops off her bar stool and walks to the back door of the bar. She cuts a couple of corners before coming to a large metal door. She pushes its open and steps aside to lean onto the bricked wall. Emma runs her hands through her blonde mane and closes her eyes.

_“Neal!” Emma screams as she launches herself at him. The sound of an explosion and gravel flying all around them keeps them lying on the metal ground, inside the American base. Emma rolls off of her sergeant. It’s dark and the only light is coming from sparked cables and fires and the sounds of men shouting and explosion feel her ears._

_Everything is blurry and in slow motion as she regains her composure. She slowly sits up and looks over to Neal. He isn’t moving._

_“Neal!” she says in a harsh whisper and she begins to get up and check on him. “Neal?” her voice cracks as her eyes fill with tears. “Shit wake up!” she holds the side of his head. It’s covered in blood, which is flowing so easily. She begins to breathe quickly as she looks to her own hands. An explosion happens overhead and men yell in foreign languages. Emma looks around panicking. She looks down to Neal, her face contorting into pure self -loathing for what she was about to do._

_“I’m sorry,” she whispers as she kisses his forehead. The blonde Major stands up and looks around, the shadows of the enemy flowing into the control room. She quickly makes her way to the opposite side of the control center. She gives one look back, only to look at Neal one last time. An explosion interrupts her and she begins to run down a dark hall. Only to be stopped by flashing lights coming from the direction she’s running and the direct she came…_

Emma holds her head between her hands as her breathing gets stronger. She slides against the brick wall down to the ground. Her phone begins to buzz in her back pocket. She waits a moment before pulling it out and sliding the answer but to the right.

“Hello?” she says out of breath. One hand still holds her head as she leans her head back against the wall.

“Ms. Swan, this is Regina Mills. You left yesterday without me getting to thank you properly.”

“How the hell did you get my number?” Emma opens her eyes widely.

“I'm a woman of many resources. But I would like to thank you by having dinner tomorrow night. A car will be down at your apartment by eight and dress formally. We will have a grand time Ms. Swan,” Regina ends the conversation, ignoring Emma as she presses the end button on her phone. She gets up from her office chair and walks over to the window that over looks the vast city beneath her.

“Something about you Ms. Swan…” Regina Mills whispers to herself.


	3. Bedroom Hymns

Emma still sits against the wall, puzzled beyond a doubt. “What the hell just happened?” the blonde major asks out loud to evidently no one. She slowly drops her hand as she processes what happened. _Dinner. Tomorrow night. How the hell did this woman get my number? Shit, she even got my address._

 _Damn, I have to get back to Ruby._ With that, the blonde gets up and slowly, puts her phone in her back pocket and puts her hand on the cold metal door handle. She pulls on it, but it only budges slightly before sliding back to its original position.

Swan sighs as she pulls out her phone. She pulls out Ruby’s name in her phone and begins to text.

_Hey. I’m headed home. Sorry for ditching but maybe we can go out soon and at NIGHT. Ruby, don’t do something I would do. I’m taking my car so make sure to call a cab._

She clicks the top button on her phone and it blacks out, she then slides it back into her pocket. Emma looks to her left down the small alley and slowly begins to walk down the grey pavement. She weaves through the people on the pavement, coming to a 2007 black dodge challenger. She reaches a pale hand to a loop in her jeans that is connected to a clip which is hanging on her to her keys. Emma unclips it and hits the unlock button and the charger beeps in respond. She walks around the front of the car and into the street, pulling her front door open and crouching to get inside.

The blonde closes the door and pauses before she starts the car. Emma sighs as she puts the car in the right gear and begins to move on the smooth grey pavement.

 

* * *

 

About twenty minutes later, after having minor road rage through the bad traffic, she’s taking the elevator up to her apartment on the seventh floor. As the silver colored metal doors opened and the dark cedar wood floor appeared, Emma’s brown boots stepped onto it and turned left. Her boots made dull _plot_ sounds with every step she took on the dark wooden floor. As she began to pull out her key card, she rounded one more corner and there was the lonely door to her apartment at the end of the hall by itself.

The best thing about this apartment building, it was spacious and privacy was one of its best qualities.

Emma slid the key in before hearing a click and pushing the door open. The blonde sighed as she stepped inside and pushed the door close.

The room was large and straight ahead from Emma, light peeked through from the large walls made of glass. The floor was a dark wooden color. Not far from the door, white couches shaped in a large _L_ were lying on the wood surrounding a beautiful brown rug. Sitting on the carpet was a glass coffee table that was at least five feet from a fire place that held above it a mounted flat screen t.v.

After the couches, sat a black grand piano that out looked the city through the large glass wall.

To the left of the piano, sat a wooden stair case that led of up to Emma’s room. Before that, closest to the front door, was the kitchen.

Emma squinted her eyes as she saw lights that she didn’t leave on when she left to go pick up Ruby. She walked forward and put her keys in her back pocket. She walked over into the kitchen and pulled out a drawer in one of the counters. She pulled out a gun and cocked it. Emma became tense as she stalked toward the stair case. She was careful to not make a sound with her books on the wooden stair case. Her left boot hit the last step as she stepped onto wooden surface again.

“Seriously?” Emma asked in an annoyed voice as she put her gun on safety and put in on her dresser by the door. She then crossed her orange leather covered arms over her chest. “What the hell are you doing up in my room? I thought I also told you to call first when you were coming. Plus, how did you get in?”

A scared squeal erupts from the raven, pixie cut haired woman bent over in the corner over a suitcase. She wore jeans tucked into heel heeled tan boots, and a tan coat that tucked a pink blouse inside of it.

She turns around with her hand over her chest where her heart is and her eyes wide. “Emma! You know you can’t scare me like that especially with a gun! You’re father already does it enough back home.”

“Mom, you can’t just break into my apartment. God, I even had a gun. You can’t make stupid decisions like that,” Emma scolds her mother as she steps into the room. “I also thought I told you to call before you guys came.”

“Well, excuse me for wanting to surprise my one and only daughter who I get to see every few weeks out the year,” Emma’s mother says back with an attitude as she steps toward her. “Plus, your father has been telling me you’re not doing so good… It also doesn’t help when you don’t talk Emma. If talking to your father helps you, do it but you know you can always talk to me.”

“I’m doing fine Mom,” the blonde says as she moves to sit on her bed. Emma slowly begins to take off her boots as she continues, “I’m doing better than I’ve done in a while.”

“Have you been going to Archie?” her mother asks walking around to stand in front of her.

Emma doesn’t speak as she continues to unzip her left boot. The light from the sunset outside radiates into the room and casts a shadow from Emma to her mother.

“Emma,” the raven haired woman says as she bends down and grabs Emma’s scarred hands in her own,” You can’t keep going on like this. You have to talk to someone. I know that whatever happened in the past in all the places that you were while you were missing those couple months, you can get past it and your father and I will be here to help you ever step of the way. But honey,” the older woman says as tightening her hands on her daughters, “You need to talk.”

“Where’s dad?” the blonde says getting up and moving away from her mother to put her boots in the closet to the left of her. She keeps her face contorted into a frown, blonde hair hiding her face.

The raven haired woman sighs as she gets up with a small grunt, “He went pick up some food at the diner for dinner tonight. I was feeling like old fashion diner styled food. You know we always have to get Granny’s while we’re down here. Plus, it also gives us a chance to have dinner as a full family.”

Emma doesn’t say a word as she puts her boots at the bottom of her closet. She then pulls off and hangs her leather jacket in the closet, only dressed in cuffed jeans and a white tank top. Her mother winces as she looks at the white scarred lines that extend from the tank top. One is lined from Emma’s shoulder to the open space right under the back of her neck. The others are hidden inside the tank top, on the front and back of her body, scars from a scornful past.

“I was also hoping that tomorrow we could have a dinner where I cooked? I was going to make my special spaghetti you love.”

“I actually,” Emma says pausing and finally turning around to face her mother. She laughs nervously as she runs a hand through her blonde mane. “I’m meeting someone for dinner tomorrow.”

The raven haired woman’s eye brows shoot up and her teeth are being shown in a cheesy grin. “Emma, who is it? Is it a date? When will your father and I get to meet him?”

The blonde crosses her hands over her chest and stares at her mother blankly before answering,” It’s not exactly a date. It’s her way of thanking me for saving her and she clearly didn’t even let me out of it because I didn’t even get a chance to seriously speak.”

“Well, did-“the latter of the two is cut off by the front door down stairs being opened.

“Mary Margret? You will never guess who I saw at the diner,” James calls out into the empty living room.

The two women look at each other before heading to the bedroom’s entrance and down the stairs. Mary Margret heads to the lighted kitchen and Emma follows close behind, anxious to see her father.

“Hi honey,” Mary Margret says walking up to her husband around the kitchen’s island and kissing him on the lips. He has brown hair streaked with grey and light blue eyes that have slight wrinkles, he wears a black leather jacket with a red flannel shirt and black pants surrounding boots. He looks up and sees Emma and gives a warm smile. She returns a small one and he walks over to her and lays his hand around her shoulder. “So I was thinking, before we leave in two days on Sunday, that we could maybe get some time together? I’ve been missing my daughter a lot lately. So what do you say?” David smiles and asks.

“I might be busy tomorrow but sure. How about tonight?” Emma asked as she continues to be tense under her father touch.

“What are you up to tomorrow that has you so busy?” James asks as Emma steps away from her father and walks around the kitchen’s island to the bag labeled _Granny’s Diner._

“Emma has a date,” Mary Margret smiles as she walks over to her husband a latches on to his arm.

“It’s not a date… It’s a repayment Mom.”

“Date,” Mary Margret teases in a high pitched tone.

“Emma Elizabeth Swan, is there something I need to know about who’s dating my daughter?” James asks in the best fatherly tone he could conjure without grinning.  


 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello by Adele is fresh though right?


	4. Long and Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to imagine James and Mary Margaret in their 50's. Next chapter is the date. I PROMISE. I'll even start typing it right now.

“It’s nothing. I just saved someone from getting their throat cut from a low life hood who was trying to get away from the cops,” Emma said to her quizzical looking father as she brought out a smaller brown bag out of the larger one with the label _Granny’s Diner._

Mary Margaret and James looked at each other with knowing grins. “So… You want to at least give me a name?” James asked.

“Regina,” the blonde says as she walks over to and opens the stainless steel Kenmore fridge and pulls out a beer.

Her parents watch as she moves out of the fridge and closes it. She then grabs her food and beer and looks at her parents, who are expecting more information without asking.

“Mills. Her name is Regina Mills,” Emma says rolling her eyes.

“Wait, as in head of Mills Enterprises? The sister and brother who took over their parents’ global company and are now some of the most well-known and wealthiest people in the world? Mary Margaret asks with wide eyes.

“Did you know she had a kid too?” Emma asks sarcastically with wide eyes.

“Emma,” James says in a soft, scolding tone.

“Yes Mom. They were out at the park when I met them. It was both Mills and then the kid,” the blonde finished off to her parents. She then looks at them both and says, “I’m going eat on the balcony. Join me if you want to.”

With that, Emma leaves her parents in the kitchen and walks upstairs. She took a left at her bedroom which was next to the balcony door. She pushes it open to be rushed by with cold New York night air. The blonde walks over to a black metal chair with a cushion inside and a black metal table. She sets down and beer and food and walks around to take a seat in the chair.

Emma has goosebumps that align her arms and up to her shoulder from the cold air. She ignores the cold breezes that keep caressing her skin, and opens her bag. She pulls out a grilled cheese sand which and French fries.

Emma gives a light smile to the familiar food. She unwraps her sand which and begins to eat, taking occasional sips of beer. As the blonde watches the city moving, she thinks of Regina.

_Our ‘date’ is tomorrow. I wonder how she even got my number. How the hell did she even get my address?! Hey? She had a cute kid, but I wonder what the story behind that is?_

Emma switches her sandwich to her left hand as she pulls her phone out of her jean pocket. She puts in her passcode and searches the name Regina Mills.

A Wikipedia link pops up on her phone, Emma clicks it open to find a large picture of Regina and her profile to the left of it.

‘ _Regina Mills (born on July 15, 1983) is an American business magnate and investor. She is the president of her global companies located around the world, along with her brother, David Mills. Mills’ outspoken manner, lifestyle, and career helped make her one of the most well respected women of the world._

_Mills is the daughter of Henry and Cora Mills, the now retired CEO’s of Mills’ Enterprises. Her mother strongly influenced her and her brother to take over the company when the time came.’_

Emma scrolls down to the ‘early life’ section with her finger and opens it with a tap.

‘ _Regina Mills was born and raised as a native to New York City. She was raised by her parents Henry and Cora Mills along with her brother David. They grew up to attend the wealthy and wide known private school of Madison Prep.’_

Emma continues to scroll down till she gets to the ‘person life’ section and skims through till she finds a sentence with her kid’s name listed.  


‘ _Mills’ had a son named Henry Daniel Mills along with her deceased husband, Daniel Elton. Elton died of a heart condition a few months before Henry Mills was born on May 30, 2010.’_

Emma’s eyes widened slightly as she took a bite of her sand which and put her phone down.

_I knew something was off when I first met them at the park…_

 


	5. What the Water Gave Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS

As Emma finished her food on the balcony of her apartment, she began to pick up all her trash and walked straight to the door. She opened it and walked along the dark wood of the second level. She made her way to the stairs and softly pattered down. When she hit the dark wooden floor with her foot, Emma walked to the kitchen. The blonde looked to the living room and noticed her mom and dad weren’t there.

She threw her crumpled up bag and now emptied beer glass into the trash. Emma then walked into the living room.

“Mom? Dad?” she called out. She looked to the wooden doors a couple of feet away from her on the other side of the living room and groaned. On the guest room door, which the room her parents now occupied, there was a note her mother had made for her.

In small, neat cursive was this:

“ _Emma, your father and I decided to go to sleep early. We’re not as young as we use to be… Well, just in case, don’t open the door for a few hours, we might be busy…”_

At the end of the note was her father’s small scraggly hand writing.

You don’t mind if we stay with you another night? Mary Margaret wants to be here when you finish date. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow?

“You guys are gross! Why didn’t you just stay home to do this?” Emma bangs on the door before shivering with the weirdness of her parents having sex on the other side of the door.

 

                                                                                                XXXX

 

Inside of the guest room, Mary Margaret and James laugh as they hear Emma throwing a fit outside the door. The sheets cover their bare bodies as James lays on his back, his arm around Mary Margaret as her arm is laid across his bare chest.

They bodies are shaking with laughter at Emma’s behavior. “It’s impressive that we can still give her a few traumatic childhood memories at this stage in the game,” James says looking at his wife with his deep blue eyes. They both laugh before James pulls Mary Margaret in for a searing passionate kiss.

 

                                                          ------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Emma’s face is contorted into one of pure disgust as she makes her way back upstairs. She walks straight to her room and into her private bathroom to start a shower. As the sprinklers shoot out with instant water and steam, Emma walks out of the bathroom and too her bedroom door to close it.

The blonde walks to her dirty clothes hamper and begins to take off her cuffed jeans and white tank top. In less than a minute, she’s naked and standing in front of the mirror in her bathroom.

Emma looks at her hands at the skin on the back of her scarred hands. Her deep emerald eyes travel up her arms and to her shoulder. A lighter shade of white marks on her pink complexion over and down the part of her right shoulder. The blonde shakes her head and closes her eyes as she steps over into the shower.

The hot water feels good on her face as Emma stands there, underneath the jets of the spraying water. Her face begins to slowly contort into a frown as the blackness beneath her closed eyes begins to play images…

_She’s running into the hall after the explosion. As Emma runs, flashing lights meet her in the direction she’s running. “Shit!” she whispers to herself as she turns around, only to be met by another set of flashing lights._

_Finally both lights reach her and Emma looks back and forth, trying hopelessly to think of an escape. The sound of yelling and guns being pointed into her face are faded out as something hard and metal collides into the back of her skull…_

Emma shakes her head, running her hands through her soaked blonde mane. She’s breathing quickly as she backs up against the shower wall. The blonde opens her eyes and looks up to the ceiling, trying to re gain her grip on reality.

The blonde major tries to close her eyes again, attempting to see if her memories were still there.

_The next the she feels are hands on her toned covered, uniform arms and her feet dragging behind her. Emma tries to open her eyes repeatedly but all she sees is black. “Damn Al Qaeda fucking bagged me,” she says in her head._

_“Shit,” she simply thinks as the throb in the back in her head pounds. She allows her head to roll as she continues to act unconscious. Emma hears the yells of foreign language as her feet hit was she thinks is sand. Her two captivators start talking in what Emma recognizes as Arabic._

_Major Swan is dragged for another two minutes before her body is lifted by the two men carrying her and thrown into the back of something metal and hard._

_She feels two hits to the metal and Emma recognizes and feels an engine starting._

_The blonde Major tries to remain calm but her breathing increases as she’s taken across the many miles of sand in the dead of the night…_

Emma’s sitting in the corner of the shower, her legs pulled up to her bare chest and her arms encircling them. Her blonde hair softly being combed by the hot jet streams of water as it lies all around on her back, arms, and chest.

Swan’s breathing is coming out raspy, but quick. _It’s just a memory. You’re safe. You’re home. Home. This isn’t home. This was never home. You’re adopted. You don’t belong anywhere. Just back in a hell hole in Iraq._

Emma continues to battle with her demons and she tries to come back to reality. But of course, once you go to war, it carries on inside one’s self…

 

 

                                                     ---------------------------------------------------------

 

 

The sound of stilettos hit the marbled floor of the Mills’ mansion along with the slam of the large, glass paned doors that towered high.

Regina walks into the large foyer and to the stairs, not bothering to take a look around. She climbs the stairs and straight down the hallway and to her son’s room. _Should he be asleep? Berkley should have put him to sleep by now…_

Regina’s hesitant as she quietly opens the blue and gold door to Henry’s room. The door gives a soft _creak_ as the older Mills steps into the room with her hand on the knob of the door. She puts her purse down on the floor and walks over to the small lump huddled inside the bed spread with the picture of a knight slaying a fire-breathing dragon.

Regina sits on the side of the bed, her skin-hugging ocean blue dress rising up slightly to her mid-lower thigh. She smiles as she lays a perfectly manicured hand on the lump of which is her sleeping son.

“Henry,” she gently shakes him. She looks up at the blue clock to the right of the bed over the giant bin of different hilt foam swords. “9:37,” the older Mills whispers to herself. _He’s been asleep for almost an hour and a half._

“Henry,” Regina says in a soft, playful tone, “I made my special apple cinnamon flavored pancakes.”

The younger Mills still refuses to wake up but stirs his legs.

“Henry, I know you’re awake.”

“Henry isn’t here right now,” a high pitched boy’s voice comes out muffled from underneath the covers.

“Oh really?” Regina says, her eyebrows rising up as she crosses her arms across her chest. “Where might he be?”

Henry makes a fake snoring sound as he refuses to come out of his bed spread. Regina grins as she slowly rises up and takes off her heels on the side of Henry’s bed. “Enrique, I’m warning you. If you don’t come out, I will resort to your ultimate enemy…”

Silence was his response back to his mother’s declaration. Regina grinned as she softly sat back on the bed and let her hands hover over her son’s body. Finally, she let the crash down and began to tickle the small figure hidden underneath the sheets of his bed.

Loud laughter and giggling both fill the air as the bed spread is jumping high where limbs are flying up and down, trying to escape.

“Mommy!” Henry cries in fits of laughter as crazy mop of brunette hair erupts from underneath the sheets. The five year old screams as he pops out of his sheets, clad in blue plaid pants and a red long sleeve shirt.

Regina laughs as she directs Henry on his back as she towers over him and continues to tickle him.

“Henry’s here! I’m right here. I call a truce!” Henry says in between gasps for air and laughter.

Regina stops for a moment as she finishes laughing but continues to grin, her hands still lying and ready to continue tickling her son.

“So once again, I ask, where is my Henry?” Regina asks.

“Right here!” Henry beams up at her as he closes his hands around her wrists. Regina then smiles back and bends down to kiss his forehead.

“How was your day?” the older Mills asks.

“Well,” Enrique begins, “today I got chosen to be Peter Pan in my class’ Neverland play! I can’t believe Ms. Blue picked me to play Peter Pan over Nicholas.”

“Henry,” Regina says, sitting up and turning around so her back can rest against the head board of Henry’s bed. She then softly pats the spot on the bed next to her. Henry then crawls over and sits close to his mother; she then rests her arm around his shoulder.

“You are brilliant. You’re very smart for your age and I don’t find it that hard to believe that you have been chosen for this part.”

“Really?” deep brown eyes look up disbelieving his mother’s words. Regina simply nods and brings her right hand up to play with Henry’s hair. The younger Mills begins to fade and slump against his mother into a deep sleep.

“Yes, I really do,” Regina whispers as she kisses his temple. “I love you my little Prince. I wish you the best dreams,” the older brunette whispers against Henry’s hair as her eye lids began to get heavy also…

They both fall asleep, Henry held close to Regina the entire night…

 

                                                                 -----------------------------------------------------------

 

Emma’s footsteps fall to meet the door which is guarded by her doorman of her apartments. She’s dressed in blacks sweats and a hoodie this pulled over her blonde mane to shield her face from the bitter winds.

“Weather changed mighty fast huh,” the doorman smiles and says in a thick New York accent as he pulls open the door for a running Emma.

“Yeah, but the cold’s better. I prefer a cold New York than a hot one,” Emma simply says, her voice wavering as she runs past the doorman and into her building.

                                                                                                                XXXX

As Emma walked into her apartment, the smell of pancakes hit her and she immediately became hungry. She walked past and around the wall that lead to the kitchen. Her mother was flipping pancakes as her father was cooking eggs and sausage.

“Morning,” Emma says to her parents as she walks between the counter and island to the fridge. She reaches in and grabs the orange juice. Next she looked for a glass and went to pour the orange contents into the glass. “I loved how you both ditched me last night…”

“Morning and we did not,” James says turning around to face Emma with a smile.

“We decided that it had been a while and that- “Mary Margaret says before being cut off by Emma.

“I seriously am asking you to not finish that sentence Mom,” the blonde says as she leans against the kitchen island and lays her cup of orange juice on the granite counter tops.

Her parents look at each other and giggle like children. “Any ways Emma, I was hoping we could go dress shopping for your date tonight. I know you have dresses but I was hoping we could spend some time together since we have to leave tomorrow, plus we won’t see you when you have to go back in a couple of weeks…”

“Sure. I’ll just go take a shower and change clothes and we can head out after breakfast.”

“Really?” Emma’s mother says surprisingly as she eyes James and looks back to Emma.

Emma gives a forced smile as reassurance before she begins to walk away but halts to a stop. She turns around and walks to her parents.

“Mom… Dad...” Emma says, grabbing their attention.

“I’m not sure if I’ve reached the comfort I wanted life, here in New York, but I think I’ve reached where I’m supposed to be as a Major and all…”

Mary Margaret and James look at each other with puzzled expression.

“What are you saying Emma?” James asks.

“I think it’s time I’ve faced it. Ever since I went missing for that year, after Neal and Jefferson, it’s not the same. I don’t think I’m going back to the army…”

 


End file.
